Events
Travelwise - Walking Wednesdays start 21 May
Congratulations to the following Year 7/8 students who have been selected as the 2025 Travelwise team:
Year 7 - Lotti McAndrew, Emilija Rooderkerk, Georgia Percy,Jemma Keightley-Wills, Chloe Stonebridge, Amelia Bradley-Dengelo
Year 8 - Joshua Sam Jesudas, Fran Arra, Alice McDougall, Emily James
The Travelwise Team will be recommencing Walking Wednesday on 21 May. Walking Wednesdays are to encourage students and families to walk, bike or scoot to school for the health benefits and to reduce traffic congestion around our school gates. Each week two names from Year 0-3 and two names from Year 4 - 8 get pulled out of the box and the students get a prize.
World Environment Day is celebrated on Thursday 5 June. The theme for 2025 is ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’. The Team will be coming up with some ‘rubbish intervention’ activities to help with reducing rubbish in our school environment, and encouraging reusing, reducing and recycling plastics. Look out for World Environment posters around the school in Week 6 (2 - 6 June).
Sharron Buer
Travelwise Teacher
Senior Merit Assembly (Y4-8)
Parents are welcome to our first merit assembly of the year on Friday 6 June at 2 pm.
Kiwi Competitions - English
Year 5 - 8 students sit the test for Kiwi Competitions -English. Year 7 and 8 students start at 9.30 am and Year 5 and 6 students start at 11.30am in Room 29.
Year 5 and 6 Bay Suburbs Rugby
Year 5 and 6 Rugby and Rippa Rugby at Colin Maiden Park.
Relationships and Sexuality Education Parent Evening
You may be interested in how relationships and sexuality education is taught in schools in Aotearoa New Zealand, how you can support your child’s learning, and how you can have your say.
Come along to the parent information evening on Wednesday 11 June at 5 pm in the school staffroom.
Winter Festival Water Polo Tournament (Y4-8)
This is an all day water polo tournament for those students in Years 4-8 in the water polo teams Blue and Maroon.
Citizenship Assembly
Parents are invited to our Whole School Citizenship Assembly on Friday 13 June at 2pm.
Citizenship Awards recognise those children who consistently uphold our school values and consistently display citizenship qualities.
Citizenship Qualities:
Friendly and helpful towards other people
Generous with your time and talents for the good of others without thought of personal reward
Sympathetic towards those in distress, the weak and the needy
Only one child is awarded an excellence award in each class per term.
Kiwi Competitions - Maths
Year 5 - 8 students sit the test for Kiwi Competitions -Maths. Year 7 and 8 students start at 9.30 am and Year 5 and 6 students start at 11.30 am in Room 29. There may be English catch-ups and Science Pretests on this day.
Matariki Day at SHS
Posted on 7 June 2025
Following our earlier email we are pleased to confirm details for our special Matariki Celebration on Thursday 19th June at 7:00a.m.
Our celebration will begin at 7.15 with an opening ceremony and feature the Boys Music Group and waiata.
To ensure everyone's safety, all children must be accompanied by a supervising adult. A light breakfast of a muffin and drink will be provided after the ceremony.
If your child is unable to attend with an adult they should arrive at the normal time.
Student Leaders, House leaders and the Boys Music Group are expected to attend and will meet with teachers beforehand to mark off attendance for safety.
Children can dress for a Be Yourself Day on the day. School uniform is not required
Your child will bring home an attendance slip in a couple of weeks. Please keep an eye out for it, and complete and return it to their teacher as soon as possible indicating:
Whether your child will attend the celebration with an adult, and
Muffin choice for breakfast for all children and whanau attending
Thank you for your support - we look forward to celebrating this occasion together.
Posted Term 2 Week 1:
The rise of Matariki in the winter skies above Aotearoa is an important time in the Māori calendar, as it signifies the start of the Māori New Year.
For Māori, astronomy was interwoven into all facets of life. Experts would observe the night sky, charting star and planet movements, the relationship of the stars and planets to the moon and sun, while also noting what was happening on the whenua (land) and in the moana (ocean), lakes and awa (rivers). All these celestial star beings were attributed qualities and named accordingly, and their stories were woven into the history of the people.
Historically, new year celebrations provided the opportunity for whānau to come together to acknowledge the year gone by, prepare and plan for the year ahead; to celebrate with kai, kōrero, ceremony and entertainment.
On Thursday 19 June we will be holding a special event at St Heliers School to celebrate Matariki. Families will be invited to gather on the school turf at 7am before the sun rises at 7.33am. We will be celebrating with a special ceremony with waiata and story telling under the night sky. Afterwards we will be providing a breakfast. Children may also choose to arrive to school at the normal time. The day will be filled with activities for the children around the theme of Matariki which connects with our school vision-’Navigating Success Together’ - ‘Kia mahi tahi ai te waihoe’.
Due to the early start school will finish at 2pm on 19 June.
The following day, Friday 20 June is a public holiday to mark Matariki, and the start of the long weekend.
Spanish and Portuguese Speakers Family Evening
Please let the office know how many from your family will be coming.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Eastern Zone Girls Football
Year 7 and 8 girls compete in the Eastern Zone Football Tournament at Ellerslie AFC - Michaels Avenue Reserve.
Year 5 and 6 Bay Suburbs Football
Several teams of Year 6 and 6 students will compete against other schools at the Bay Suburbs Football Tournament at Glover Park.
Junior Merit Assembly (Y0-3)
Parents are welcome at this assembly on Friday 16 May at 2.15 pm.
Pink Shirt Day
Pink Shirt Day on Friday 16 May is the day that all of New Zealand makes a stand against bullying. People will mark this day in workplaces, businesses, schools and all other spaces where people gather.
St Heliers School children can wear something pink on Friday 16 May. If they are wearing something pink they don’t have to wear their school uniform. They also should bring a gold coin or pay on Kindo, and the school will donate all the donations to the Mental Health Foundation.
If you order your shirts now, you should get these before 16 May.
You can get these from Cotton On, or you can be more individual and order one from Temu. Be quick though as they sell out fast.
Year 8 Eastern Zone Boys Football
Year 8 boys compete in the Eastern Zone Football Tournament at Ellerslie AFC - Michaels Avenue Reserve.
Year 7 and 8 Parent Information Evening
This information evening is for parents of children in Years 5 and 6. You will get an overview of the intermediate programme at St Heliers School. Hear from the Senior Leadership team and the teachers of Year 7 and 8.
Year 7 Eastern Zone Boys Football
Year 7 boys compete in the Eastern Zone Football Tournament at Ellerslie AFC - Michaels Avenue Reserve.
International Parents Morning Tea
Parents of International students are invited to Semplice Cafe in St Heliers Village for a morning tea with the International Student Manager and the Senior Leadership Tea on Wednesday 19 February from 9 am to 10 am.
Kākahi Visit to Auckland Museum
Year 8 will be visiting the Auckland Museum on Wednesday 7 May as part of their inquiry on Navigation. Year 7 will visit the Auckland Museum on Thursday 8 May. All classes this term will be studying Navigation as part of their inquiry. This will link to both Matariki and our new School Vision ‘Navigating Success Together’.
New Parents Morning Tea
The Senior Leadership Team look forward to seeing all the new parents from the middle of Term 1, and the beginning of Term 2 at the morning tea at 9.00am on Tuesday 6 May. Hear a little more about what’s happening in the school, meet other new families and have some of your questions answered. We look forward to seeing you.
Citizenship Assembly
Parents are invited to our Whole School Citizenship Assembly on Friday 13 June at 2pm.
Citizenship Awards recognise those children who consistently uphold our school values and consistently display citizenship qualities.
Citizenship Qualities:
Friendly and helpful towards other people
Generous with your time and talents for the good of others without thought of personal reward
Sympathetic towards those in distress, the weak and the needy
Only one child is awarded an excellence award in each class per term.
School Holidays
Venture outside and try something new. Stay safe and we will see you all in Term 2.
Harmony Day 2025
On Thursday 10 April the school day will be different. The children will be learning about each other’s cultures through the arts and technology (visual arts, dance, music, drama, hard materials and food technology). The children will take part in three different activities during the day.
Children will be in Tuakana-Teina groups, this means that the groups will have older and younger children in them and families will be together. Each group will consist of approximately 20 children. In these groups the older children have a responsibility to guide and lead the younger ones.
There will be many different activities on the day and teachers will be running many of them and we have invited parents who have something from their culture to share, to come and take an activity.
Parents Wine and Cheese Evening 7pm
On Wednesday 9 April join our Board Chair, Kathy Harding to our Parents Wine and Cheese Evening in the staffroom. A time to meet other parents, laugh, converse and discuss ideas for the school.
Out-of-Zone Enrolment Applications Close Tuesday 8 April
Applications for Out-of-Zone Enrolment at St Heliers School for children turning 5 this year closes on 8 April at 3pm. If a ballot is required it will be on the same day at 3.30pm. Parents will be notified by the end of Term 1, on Friday 11 April
Kākahi Museum Trips
Kākahi will be visiting the Auckland Museum in Week 2 of Term 2 as part of their Term 2 Inquiry. Year 8 will visit on Wednesday 7 May and Year 7 will visit on Thursday 8 May.
Citizenship Assembly
Parents are invited to our Whole School Citizenship Assembly on Friday 4 April at 2pm.
Citizenship Awards recognise those children who consistently uphold our school values and consistently display citizenship qualities.
Citizenship Qualities:
Friendly and helpful towards other people
Generous with your time and talents for the good of others without thought of personal reward
Sympathetic towards those in distress, the weak and the needy
Only one child is awarded an excellence award in each class per term.
Waterwise Year 7
Year 7 challenge themselves on the water with kayaking and sailing on Wednesday 2 April at Okahu Bay.
Waterwise Year 8
Year 8 challenge themselves on the water with kayaking and sailing on Tuesday 1 April at Okahu Bay.
Weetbix Tryathlon
The Central East Auckland Weetbix Tryathlon is on Sunday 30th March at Pt England Reserve. If you have yet to register your child, please don't wait as this event usually sells out and many children are left unable to take part. Click on the link to register now, and please ensure that you connect your children with the St Heliers School Team. You will see this option as you proceed through the enrolment. https://raceroster.com/events/2025/93895/central-east-auckland-weet-bix-kids-tryathlon
To ensure that our athletes are feeling confident and excited about this amazing event, I am offering four training sessions down at Glover Park in the lead up to the big day. These will of course help with fitness, but more importantly they are about the tips and tricks to ensure that the children have a wonderful time out there on the course, and the all-important mindset and attitude needed for the event.
There will not be any swimming at the training sessions, but please ensure you bring their bike, helmet, running shoes, and water.
Please arrive ten minutes before the start time to get set up. If you arrive at the times listed, your children will miss the beginning of the session.
I look forward to seeing you at one, or all of the sessions below:
Sun 9th March 3.30pm
Sun 16th March 4pm
Fri 21st March 8am (note that this is a Teacher Only Day at school).
Sunday 23rd March 3.30pm
Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Kathy Harding
Running Club Coach and Board Chair
027 2818 007
Excellence Assembly
Parents are invited to our Whole School Excellence Assembly on Friday 28 March at 2pm.
Excellence Awards recognise those children who have attained a standard of academic, sporting or cultural excellence in some aspect of their schooling.
Only one child is awarded an excellence award in each class per term.
Bay Suburbs Swimming Compeition
Year 5 and 6 children compete in the Bay Suburbs Swimming Competition at Sacred Heart College on Friday 28 March.
Eastern Zone Swimming
Year 7 and 8 Students compete at the Eastern Zone Swimming Competition at Sacred Heart College on Monday 24 March.
Staff Only Day
As reported in Term 4 last year, on Friday 21 March, school is closed as the staff have professional learning around the New Zealand Curriculum - specifically structured literacy and maths. The Ministry of Education has permitted school to take 4 staff only days in 2025, however St Heliers School will only be taking 2 to minimise the disruption to parents and learning.
Our second Staff Only Day is Friday 30 May, which is the Friday of Kings Birthday long weekend. Children will return to school on Tuesday 3 June.
Goal Setting Afternoons
Goal Setting afternoon on Monday 17 March begins at 3.20 pm and goes through to 5 pm. The slots are 10 minutes long.
Goal Setting afternoon on Monday 18 March begins at 1.30 pm and goes through to 5 pm. We will not be closing the school early.
Kākahi (Y7/8) Camp at Camp Adair
The Year 7 and 8 students spend 3 days at Camp Adair in the Hunua Ranges participating in a range of outdoor activities. The depart on Wednesday 12 March and return on Friday 14 March.
Thank you to all parents who will be helping at camp that week and to the teachers for organising the camp and taking time away from their family.